I can’t remember the last time a major sporting event experienced a power outage. Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want — I do think Major League Soccer games are important. If you’ve seen any this year’s MLS Cup Playoffs, you’d have noticed the lively stadiums, packed with zealous fans pounding drums and swaying back and forth while chanting for their team. The players are likely aware that few, relatively, are watching (the games are buried on ESPN2 and the Fox Soccer Channel in inconvenient time slots), but that isn’t stopping them from going at each other’s throats as if it’s the last game they will ever play. Although the competition has been thrilling, I have to admit that I can’t wait till the center referee blows the final whistle. That’s when the losing team completely cracks and swarms their opposition with jersey-pulling and vehement threats. It’s highly entertaining, mostly because these players know they won’t get fined, so they come desperately close to cracking skulls.
Take it from me — the games are fun to watch. Given the time of year, you don’t have many options to placate your sportive appetite. You’ve got your college football on Saturdays, NFL on Sundays, NBA throughout the week, and NHL if you’re lucky. OK, so there are plenty of distractions, but that doesn’t mean the MLS Cup Playoffs aren’t worth you time.
Oh, yes — the blackouts. Occurring at the 19th and 51st minutes, the power failures accumulated to over a half hour of delay. It’s a shame, because both instances killed the game’s momentum. The Dynamo outplayed the Galaxy in the first half, keeping the pressure on LA goalie Donovan Ricketts. The Dynamo defense also managed to contain the league’s leading scorer, Landon Donovan, who didn’t have any shots on goal in this Western Conference final.
With the game still scoreless at the beginning of the second half, both teams increased the tempo and focused on making runs down the field. Unfortunately, another power outage six minutes in prevented either squad from finding a groove. Neither could rebound from the unwanted interval, and the game subsequently suffered from sloppy and fatigued play.
Headed into overtime, the Home Team Depot Center suddenly awoke and attempted to breathe life into the Galaxy, a once hopeless franchise that finished tied for last place in 2008. In the game’s 103rd minute, David Beckham sent a perfectly-placed ball inside the Dyanmo box. Omar Gonazlez put a head on it, but it was blocked by Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson. Gregg Berhalter, however, was there to pick the trash, seamlessly knocking the ball into the net and giving the Galaxy the lead.
From then on, the Dynamo would fail to regain composure. Shortly after Berhalter’s goal, Houston defender Bobby Boswell brainlessly tripped the Galaxy’s Alan Gordon inside the Dyanmo box. Landon Donovan, booming with confidence, drove the penalty kick past Dyanmo goalie Pat Ostand. After 120 minutes of play, the Galaxy were the Western Conference Champions.
The Galaxy will now wait on the winner of tonight’s Eastern Conference final between the Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake, which you can catch at 8 PM ET if you get the Fox Soccer Channel.
The MLS Cup will take place on Sunday, November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle.
